Metamorphosis
by Ali Wenstern
Summary: Sequel to Hunter's Moon. Metamorphosis: a biological process involving a conspicuous and relatively abrupt change. Everyone changes, sometimes for the good, but sometimes for the worst. And Ali isn't the only one experiencing a change. Which leaves one question: Will Sophie have to make the ultimate sacrifice?
1. Chapter 1

Ali opened her eyes and stared up at the insect-like ceiling of the Hive. She had about a minute and a half of pure bliss before the roaring started in her ears and a dull throb began at the back of her skull. She lay in her bed for five more minutes, waiting to see if it would get any worse. When the throb remained constant she sat up, glancing around. She had only just recently made this her 'room' and was still trying to get it just the way she wanted. She had raided the orphanage where she had once lived and created her first genocide, to take a cot, a chest of drawers for clothes, and an old table for the knickknacks she often collected from victims. Three aliens had had to help her drag everything into the sewers to get them to the Hive. The room was small and it had taken a lot of convincing for Tilda to even make it for Ali. She seemed to know Ali was trying to distance herself and had resisted at first, but eventually relented. She was holding out hope that this was simply a phase Ali was going through and would soon get over it, but it wasn't just a phase. It was something much more.

The cot's springs let out an exhausted groan as Ali climbed off the bed, the edges of her large nightshirt brushing her knees. As she crossed the small space over to her dresser, she pulled the shirt over her head and tossed it over her shoulder towards the cot. The first drawer squeaked along its rollers as Ali yanked it open and randomly grabbed underwear and a bra, putting them on one after the other. Her wardrobe used to be relatively simple, consisting of black jeans and black long-sleeved shirts, but recently, she had been raiding the homes of her targets, taking girl's clothing that sparked her interest. She still found herself favoring dark varieties, a natural habit given her nocturnal tendencies. Opening the second drawer, she pulled out a black and white striped shirt and pulled that over her head, followed by a pair of faded dark jeans.

As she stepped out of her room, she was greeted by Hermes, who faithfully waited by the entrance every morning. He, along with the rest of the aliens, seemed especially troubled by Ali's recent behavior and seemed to become more needing of her attention now. She smiled when she saw him and held out her hand which he gratefully stepped into, hissing softly. In spite of herself, Ali laughed.

_Going out?_ Tilda asked as Ali crossed through the Queen's Chamber.

"Yeah," Ali replied, "I thought I'd head out a little earlier, before nightfall."

_Do you think that is wise?_

"No one's going to see me," Ali said, "The park closes around this time."

_You have been going out earlier and earlier ever night. What is the matter?_

"Nothing."

_Ali._

_"I said it's nothing!_" It had been a reflex and only after she had finished the thought did she realize her mistake.

The Hive when deathly silent as Ali glared up at Tilda. For a moment she thought Tilda wouldn't reply, but then she spoke in a soft voice, _Are you aware that is the first time you have spoken to me through your thoughts in a long time?_

_"What does that have to do with anything?"_

_I am worried about you. Something happened that night you returned from the Hunter's planet, something that you will not tell me._

_"It's nothing, I'm fine."_

_Then why are you blocking my thoughts?_

_"I don't know! Sometimes I just need a moment to myself!"_

_Ali,_ Tilda tried again.

But Ali spun on her heel and stamped out the chamber. "Scorpio!" she called.

The Zabin leapt from the wall and landed gracefully on Ali's shoulder, steadying herself with her inverted tail. Ali heard Hermes and Apollo hissing, their intent clear. They planned to follow her and keep an eye on her, but then Tilda hissed them into submission. She let Ali leave with only Scorpio as her companion.

The last few rays of sunlight still clung to the horizon, casting red and pink hues across the sky, when Ali cleared the bramble away from the Hive's hidden entrance. The storm drain was already covered in leafy overgrowth and only needed a disguise over the entrance to discourage trespassers. There was no scent of humans nearby as Ali stepped into the evening and the overhead lights began flickering into existence. A soft breeze rustled the tree branches around her, the only sound in the still evening. Ali smiled, able to move freely as she cut across the deserted park toward the street on the other side. Scorpio clung tightly to her shoulder and began calling softly in soft shrills. As Ali left the park behind and took to the sidewalk, she let herself be swept up in the peculiar and eerie music unique to Scorpio. She thought back to that alien planet where hundreds of Zabins had roosted in trees, making these strange calls and she thought about that final hunt. The Hunter's Moon had marked a day of great hunting for any beast that enjoyed the thrill of the chase. And as Ali had told Cathie, the fiery bloodlust that had mostly lain dormant was stoked by the chaos of that night. If it weren't for her Hive family here on Earth, Ali could easily have found herself able to thrive in that situation.

It had always been in her nature, she supposed; the need to kill. She had once acted upon that feeling when all she could think about was getting revenge on those who had mistreated her. But she had tried so hard to push those feelings away. She had tried so hard to be something she was not. The thing that made her a monster, the one thing she had fought to suppress, was always going to be a part of her. No matter how much she pretended to be human there was half of her that was not. Coursing through her was the DNA of a predatory species whose very being was designed to kill.

Ali reached an intersection and finally came to a stop, glancing left and right. The street appeared to be deserted with not a soul in sight, but the breeze told a different story. Ali lifted her nose to the wind and took a whiff. There was the distant scent of men and the bitter smell of exhaust. In fact, now that she was listening, she could hear the steady rumble of an idle car.

"I guess the fun has begun," Ali said, "You ready, Scorpio?"

Scorpio shrieked in delight and her tail quivered in anticipation. Ali, herself, smiled with eagerness and she set off in the direction the breeze had come from. As she walked she felt Scorpio scuttle backwards from her perch on Ali's shoulder to settle in between her shoulder blades where the Zabin would be concealed until the right moment. She was lightning fast and could move from one place to the other in the blink of an eye. Poison would be filling the tip of her stinger, which could strike with super speed. Ali waited until the feeling of Scorpio's many legs had settled into place before moving down the street once again. When Ali rounded the second corner, she found her targets.

The sound of the car was coming from a bright yellow taxi parked under a street light. There were two men, as Ali had predicted. One of them was a squat, ugly man with thin wisps of brown hair sticking out of an old baseball cap. It had been undetectable from so far away, but now that Ali was closer, she could smell the man's sweaty stink mixed with stale beer and cigarettes. She wasn't the only one disgusted by the taxi driver's scent. The other man, who was standing on the curb, watching the squat man unload three suitcases from the trunk, was tall, slender and rather handsome. His coppery brown hair was streaked with gray and combed back into a neat hairstyle. He wore a neat, three-piece suit with shoes that had been shined to a mirror finish. His nose wrinkled up every time the taxi driver came forward to place one of his suitcases on the sidewalk.

"Look, it's been a long day, do you think you could hurry it up?" the man said as the driver took his time unloading the bags.

The driver looked up and made a small noise in response, not picking up his pace.

The man grunted in frustration and tilted his arm up to consult the gold Rolex around his wrist. He made another disgruntled sound.

Ali tilted her head over her shoulder. "Not Smelly," she whispered and with that, she approached the two men.

The growing darkness hid her approach and it wasn't until she was almost upon the two men that either of them noticed her. The driver noticed her first and he smiled a big grin, revealing several missing teeth. His look was one she had encountered before and she guessed that if it was just the two of them, he would be rather quick to make a move on her. The business man cast Ali a single glance before losing interest. He didn't have the time to mess with some kind of begging girl looking for money. Ali didn't run into too many men like him, but when she did they had similar reactions. One had even told her to fuck off because he didn't give handouts to beggars.

"Excuse me," she started and held out her hand, trying to goad the business man on. It worked.

He turned on her, ready to take his frustrations out on her. But then his face went slack and his eyes filled with shock. He glanced down at his chest and stared at Scorpio as she delivered the second dose of poison into his chest. He dropped like a stone as Scorpio jumped back to Ali's shoulder. The driver stared in shock at the collapsed business man, his mouth opening in a scream.

Ali was on him in a flash, sharp nails ripping into his saggy neck. His stench overwhelmed her senses and made her cut sloppy, but she still sent his blood spraying across the side of his taxi. His scream died in his throat, replaced with a watery gurgle as blood bubbled out of his mouth as he collapsed in a heap. The sight of the growing puddle sent Ali to her knees, her breath coming out in short gasps. She glanced down at her hand where the taxi driver's blood coated the tips of her fingers and she lifted her hand to her mouth.

A tap on her shoulder broke her trance and she glanced over to see Scorpio's little legs dancing on her shoulder. Once she had her attention, Scorpio turned and brought Ali's gaze back to the business man.

"Right," Ali nodded, "Sorry, got distracted."

Ali got back to her feet, gathering up the business man, and turned her back on the dead taxi driver. Leaving the sound of the idling car behind her, Ali retreated once more into the darkness of the growing night.


	2. Chapter 2

The man's body hung awkwardly on Ali's shoulder as she climbed up the narrow fire escape ladder on the outside of an old building. She was used to this by now and was able to make it up to the top of the building without having to stop and readjust her captive. Scorpio had left her shoulder when she had reached the building and was scuttling up along the building's brick surface. Ali reached the edge of the fire escape and pulled herself up and over the roof's edge. There was a single door set in a cube of concrete that could be opened at any time by someone from within, but Ali had made sure to pick an abandoned building to avoid being disturbed. She set her captive down flat on his back, taking a moment to stretch her body and shoulder where she supported most of the man's weight. The man's eyes were still closed and his mouth hung open slightly. His breathing was slow, his heart thudding faintly. Only two pinpricks of blood on the man's suit marked where Scorpio had struck.

"Very clean hits," Ali commented.

Each hit had delivered a powerful toxin that reacted quickly within the body. The first was a paralyzing agent that would only start reacting once the second toxin had worn off. The second toxin was essentially a sedative that knocked the victim out and that allowed Zabins to begin feeding on their victims while they were still alive. The paralyzing agent also allowed Zabins to stash their prey for long periods of time, continuing to devour them for days until nothing was left.

Ali gave the man a quick pat down until she located a bulge in the upper part of the man's suit. She reached into the inside pocket and pulled out a leather wallet, worn with age. There were several fresh twenty dollar bills as well as several credit cards. None of those things appealed to Ali as she pulled the man's driver's license free. His name was Charles Martin and he was forty-three years old. The small pink heart on the back of the card indicated that he was an organ donor. Ali tucked Charles's wallet back into his suit pocket and walked away. She moved to the edge of the building and sat down, her feet hanging over the side. The streets were lit only by the spaced out glow of street lambs. Barely any house lights shone in windows, everyone had closed their doors for the night.

As she looked out over the city—her city—she found her thoughts drifting back to Tilda. She hated lying to her Queen, but she found herself unable to tell the truth. Blocking her thoughts often proved to be rather hard and it often left her with an empty feeling. Especially when she left the Hive and had no means of contact with Tilda or the others at all. Sometimes, she wasn't able to catch herself speaking to Tilda with her thoughts, if just to feel that fleeting moment of contact just once.

"It was just a reflex," Ali muttered. "I responded without thinking."

Luckily, she had managed to catch herself quickly and close her thoughts off again. She was certain Tilda hadn't seen anything. Ali glanced down at Scorpio, her friend and the only one who knew about her new condition. The little creature didn't care one way or another about anything, as long as she got the opportunity to have a big feast every now and again.

"I suppose this is what other kids feel like; when they lie to their parents," she sighed.

Scorpio squealed, her feet drumming against Ali's hand. As she lifted her hand up to her shoulder for Scorpio to resituate herself on her favorite spot, Charles let out a small groan. Ali glanced over her shoulder, peering at him through the gap Scorpio made, as he opened his eyes and looked frantically around him.

"Oh god. Where am I? What's going on? Why can't I move?"

"You've been paralyzed."

Vibrant green eyes finally settled on Ali. "What did you do to me?"

"You've been poisoned with an alien toxin that makes it easier for me to play with you."

"Wh—what are you going to do to me?" Charles stammered.

"How often do you stop to stare out into the night?" Ali asked instead, turning back to the darkened city. "Have you ever thought about how alone you are during this time? Everyone already in their beds, not a care in the world for what happens during the night. Completely unaware. I doubt anyone would even notice if you started to scream."

Charles was blubbering now. "Please. Please don't do this. Just let me go."

Ali lifted her legs up from the building's edge and swung herself around so she could stare straight into his eyes. Tears streaked down his face and he stared back at Ali with desperation.

"Do you know why you're here, Charles?" Ali asked.

Charles' breath hitched. "How do you know who I am?"

Ali waved Charles' driver's license back and forth and continued, "You're here for no particular reason at all. You happened to be outside at the same time as me and I took advantage of that."

"Who are you?"

Ali smiled in reply and approached Charles. He tried to flinch away as she crouched down next to him, but the poison held him in check. Gently, Ali reached out and stroked the man's cheek. His skin was warm to the touch and was becoming steadily more feverish as Scorpio's poison filtered through him.

"Please," Charles began to beg. "Please. I'll give you anything you want."

"Oh, you will," Ali replied. Her fingernails brushed across his throat, enticing another sob out of him.

"Please, please, please let me go!" Charles cried, "I don't want to die. I promise I won't say anything, just let me go!"

Ali's nails moved up from Charles' throat to his face and ran her fingers over his lips. "I'm sorry, Charles, I'm sure you'd keep your word, but the paralysis is permanent."

Charles continued to beg and plead for his life, but Ali was no longer listening to him. Her fingers trailed back down to his neck and she traced on nail over the thick jugular vein. All other sounds drained away to be replaced with the thudding beat of Charles' heart. Her bloodlust was reaching a boiling point and she wasn't going to be able to hold back much longer. Her mouth suddenly felt full of cotton and a loud rushing sound filled her ears. She leaned in close to his neck and her lips brushed against the feverish skin.

A scream sliced through the air, breaking the stillness. Ali hadn't even been aware that she had bit Charles until the sound of his agony flooded her ears. But she couldn't let go, in fact, his screams only made her want to sink her teeth in deeper. Everything seemed to slow down, time seemed to stop, the Earth stood still. Hot blood finally squirted from the wound, flowing out past Ali's lips, running down Charles' neck, spreading across the roof. The tangy, coppery taste flooded into Ali's mouth, moving into every crevice, under her tongue, hitting the top of her mouth, flowing toward the back of her throat.

Ali's eyes snapped open and she wrenched her head back. Her teeth hadn't released as she pulled back and a chunk of Charles' neck came back with her. She spit out his flesh and blood, gagging as the taste of the blood suddenly became vile and acidic. She hunched over, gagged again and threw up onto the roof. Breathing heavily, she rubbed at her mouth and lips, trying to scrub out the taste of blood.

"Shit," she mumbled, wiping the back of her hand on her jeans. "Nothing's changed."

This had only been the fifth attack she had made since returning to Earth with Cathie. Cathie had told her she wouldn't turn into a full vampire with the amount of venom in her system, but that she would find herself in a middle state; attracted by the smell of blood, but being unable to drink it. No matter how many times she killed, the taste would always go bad in her mouth, turning vile.

Scorpio scuttled over Charles' chest, her pincers clinking together, her eight legs drumming against him. Ali glanced down as the Zabin danced eagerly over Charles' corpse and she found herself smiling. Scorpio looked from Ali to Charles then back to Ali, letting out a small screech.

"Alright," Ali sighed. "Go ahead."

Scorpio screeched again, her tail quivering, and she turned her attention to Charles' lifeless form. She paused for a second, her small head swiveling as she tried to decide where she wanted to start first. Eventually, she made her way down to Charles' stomach, chirped, and then began chewing through Charles' shirt to get to at the tender flesh beneath. Ali, no longer able to stand the sight of the dead body, turned her back and made her way back to the edge of the building. No lights shone in any of the neighboring buildings and if anyone had heard the commotion, they chose to ignore it. The silence once again descended on the night, interrupted only by the sound of Scorpio's pincers chomping on the remains of Charles.

* * *

The night had always been Ali's domain. The streets belonged to her in the darkness of the night. The shadows allowed her to move unseen through sleeping neighborhoods, over roofs, and into alleys. After abandoning Charles' body on the rooftop, Ali wandered from one street to another with no particular destination in mind. Scorpio was nestled comfortably in between Ali's shoulder blades, full and content. In a few minutes, she would be fast asleep, her legs curled in like hooks into Ali's shirt. Ali continued to wander and found herself navigating into familiar streets. She entered the neighborhood like it was her own, walking down the street like she had lived here all her life.

It had been three months since she had last walked down these streets to check in on Sophie and her family. Three months since Ali had decided she was done saving lives and was slowly starting to give into her bloodlust. And it was surprised her when she wasn't able to quickly recall the names of Sophie's children, or even how old they were.

Have I really sunk this low, she wondered. I used to take such care in watching over those I had once saved.

She was snapped out of her thoughts when she finally rounded the corner to Sophie's street and saw the flashing red and blue lights. Several police cars and an ambulance were parked in the street outside Sophie's house which was lit up like a Christmas tree. Neighbors stood on their porches in their pajamas, some moving in closer to get a better look, all of them with looks of shock on their faces. Keeping to the shadows, Ali moved closer to the house and took a vantage point behind a large oak tree in the front lawn. Jake was standing in just in the doorway, speaking to two police officers. His arms were crossed tightly in across his chest and he looked very pale. Something dark and shiny covered the front of his shirt. There was no mistaking that smell; blood.

Ali's hand flew to her mouth, clamping tightly over her nose and mouth, but it was too late. The smell permeated her senses and overwhelmed her thoughts. The roaring, which had subsided after killing Charles, began to steadily rise. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to block out the urge to charge forward and attack Jake.

"Move! Out of the way!"

Ali opened her eyes a crack to see two paramedics charging out the front door. Jake was pushed aside and he watched in horror as a gurney was rolled out of the house and onto the porch. The two paramedics instantly began working on the figure lying motionless on the gurney. It was Sophie's daughter. One paramedic began to perform chest compressions while the other hurried to set up the portable defibrillator device. Sophie suddenly appeared in the doorway, her face streaked with tears and her eyes red.

"No pulse! Get the paddles!"

"Charging!"

"Clear!"

"Still nothing!"

"Again!"

"Charging!"

"Clear!"

"I got a pulse!"

The paramedics didn't even relax. They maneuvered the gurney carefully in order to get it down the front steps and onto the lawn, then they made a mad dash for the ambulance. Sophie's daughter was secured tightly to the gurney, covered in blankets. There were several bandages encircling her head and already one side was soaked red with blood. An oxygen mask covered the small girl's nose and mouth. Sophie and Jake exchanged a few words on the porch, then Sophie ran down the steps and over to the ambulance. The paramedics, acting quickly, got the gurney loaded and strapped down and then one leaned out to help Sophie up into the ambulance. The second shut the doors from the outside then ran to the front of the vehicle. The ambulance gave a shrieking whine and pulled out into the street, red and white lights flashing as it went.

Ali watched the ambulance disappear into the night, tracking the progress of the flashing lights as they marked the departure of the vehicle. The police officers tried to ask Jake more questions, but he was in no state to answer them so the two retreated back to their police cars. Ali watched and waited, wondering if Jake was going to eventually move.

"Dad?"

A young boy finally poked his head out the front door. He wasn't crying, but his red eyes indicated that he had been recently.

Jake turned to his son. "It's going to be ok, Max. Gabbie is with the doctors now, she'll be ok." Ali wasn't sure if he was trying to convince his son or himself.

But Max didn't look convinced. "But I heard what they said. They said her heart stopped."

"That happens sometimes," Jake said, "but they were able to get it beating again. She's going to be fine."

"Can we go see her?"

"Later. Mommy is with her and she's going to call us as soon as Gabbie has stabilized."

"Did they get the bad man?" Max asked.

Jake shook his head. "They are still looking for him, but don't worry; they'll find him."

"I'm scared."

"Me too, son."

Ali's chest felt tight and it was a struggle to gather oxygen into her lungs. Luckily, the distraction with Gabbie had been enough to get herself back under control, but now that the bloodlust was gone, a sense of guilt was beginning to set in. Human beings were weak and fragile and the littlest thing could kill them. There had been a lot of blood on the bandages and Ali knew that a human couldn't survive a substantial amount of blood loss.

"Looks like our plans have changed, Scorpio," Ali said to the snoozing Zabin as she slunk away from the house.

The sleepy Zabin cooed in response.


	3. Chapter 3

Sophie's hands were clamped tightly together, the knuckles turning white. Time was going by so slow, it had been hours since the ambulance had arrived. The tears had stopped when they had gotten to the hospital. The paramedics had been met by doctors and nurses who rushed Gabbie off immediately into intensive care. They hadn't allowed her to follow and she wasn't sure she would have been able to. As it was, she had needed to be guided to one of the comfy waiting room couches by a kind nurse to wait. But waiting was killing her. She wanted to know her daughter was alive and okay. She wanted to know that the attacker had been caught. She just wanted her life to return to normal. She choked back a sob, her hand going to her mouth.

"Mrs. Anders?"

Sophie lifted her head to see a man wearing a white lab coat over a green pair of scrubs. He was in his mid-thirties, balding, and wore a thin pair of glasses over his nose. He had a kind face and he smiled gently at Sophie when she met his gaze.

"I'm Dr. Stegman. I have good news—" he started.

Sophie choked back another sob as relief washed over her. She rose to her feet and found herself reaching out to embrace the doctor. The doctor returned the hug before gently pushing her back.

"I don't want you to get your hopes up too fast. The good news is that she is out of intensive care and is in no immediate danger right now."

"But what's the bad news?"

"She's in a coma. The bullet missed most of her brain when it passed through, but a small portion was grazed. That, included, with the number of times she crashed on the way to the hospital, her prognosis doesn't look good. There is a chance she could have permanent brain damage, if she even wakes up at all."

What little relief she had allowed herself to feel was knocked out of her in a flash. Her shoulders sagged and her brain couldn't wrap around a single thought. Dr. Stegman placed a gently reassuring hand on her shoulder and offered her a smile.

"Your daughter is very strong," he said, "There's a good chance she could pull through this."

Sophie didn't find that reassuring. "Can I see her?"

Dr. Stegman smiled again. "Of course."

He led her down the hallway, past the large ICU filled with hospital beds, some empty, others occupied. He rounded the corner to the private wing and let himself in to the second door on the right. The lights of the room had been dimmed to compliment the night sky, but Sophie didn't need much to see her small daughter dwarfed in the hospital bed. Nothing could have prepared her for the sight she saw in front of her. Two large machines were hooked up to Gabbie at different points. A computer screen monitored all of Gabbie's vitals, as well as brain activity. A clean, white bandage encircled Gabbie's head, but Sophie could see that her daughter's head had been shaved.

"We had to perform a decompressive craniotomy when she first arrived, her brain had swelled slightly around where the bullet had grazed it," Dr. Stegman explained.

Sophie didn't want to hear anymore. She walked closer to the bed and sat down in the plain chair that was provided. She reached out and took her daughter's limp hand in hers. It was a strange sensation, not to feel her child clutching back at her. A breathing tube ran underneath Gabbie's nostrils, helping her to breathe, while a small machine pumped blood directly into her veins.

"She looks so lifeless," Sophie finally said.

"Yes, I know this can be a shock to you. If you like, I can give you a moment alone."

Sophie nodded. "I have to call my husband."

Dr. Stegman nodded in understanding. "Take all the time you need. Not that it's likely to happen, but if you notice any change in Gabbie's condition, please page a nurse."

Once alone, Sophie reached into her pocket for her phone, flipped it open, and pressed the speed dial for her house. The phone hadn't even finished its first ring before someone answered.

"Mom?!"

"Max," Sophie breathed. She hadn't really had a chance to find out how her other child was doing; her entire attention having been focused on the one that might die. "How are you doing, sweetie?"

"I'm scared. What if the man comes back?"

"He won't, honey, I promise. Besides, you have your father looking out for you."

"Yeah, I guess."

"He's not going to let anything happen to you, okay baby?"

"Okay, Mommy." There was a pause. "How's Gabbie?"

Sophie felt a lump rising in her throat and she had to swallow several times before she found her voice. "Gabbie's okay."

"Can I come see her?"

"Not just yet, sweetie. But I promise you can see her real soon. Now, could you please put your father on?"

"Okay."

There was the sound of muffled voices, shuffling, more muffled voices, then Jake answered the phone. "Hello?" His voice was rough, as if he had just recently been crying.

"Hey honey," Sophie said.

"How bad is it?" he immediately asked.

"It's not great. The doctor said that she's out danger right now, but she's in a coma."

"Oh geez," Jake sobbed.

"I know, baby, I know! But the doctor said that she had a chance of pulling through this."

"But what about brain damage? She was shot in the head, Sophie! That's not something you can just come back from!"

"Jake, please, I know! But what else am I supposed to think?! I have to believe there's hope for her."

Jake took several deep breaths, seemingly fighting back the urge to cry. "Okay," he finally said, "You're right. We need to stay positive about this. We have to be strong for Gabbie."

Sophie was nodding. "Right. Let's just take this one day—"

She had been standing at the edge of Gabbie's bed, staring at a generic hospital painting of ships sailing on a calm see with birds soaring through the sky and several fish and whales visible beneath the ocean surface when she had subconsciously turned her body to the window on the wall opposite the room's door. Her train of thought was derailed in a flash and her mouth gaped open in shock. She could hear Jake's voice in her ear where she still held the phone to it, but she couldn't register his words.

A figure crouched on the other side of the window. Gabbie's room was on the second floor. The night sky cast the figure entirely into shadow, but the dark blue eyes seemed to glow with an eerie inner light. The figure was dressed completely in black. Sophie stared in shock as the figure stepped down from the window to stand in the room. A small creature appeared from behind the figure's back, scuttling up onto its shoulder.

"Sophie! Talk to me! What's going on?"

Sophie finally remembered Jake on the phone. "Honey? The doctor came back. He—he would like a word with me."

"Alright, I'll talk to you later."

Sophie clicked the phone shut, her eyes never leaving the figure.

"Ali?" she whispered, afraid to believe it was true, "Is that you?"

The figure stepped out of the shadow of the window, and into the light of the room. The creature on Ali's shoulder was cast into the light as well and Sophie had to hold back a scream. It looked to be an upside-down scorpion, the tail curling up underneath its body, but no scorpion Sophie had ever seen even looked remotely close to this thing. It let out a small, high-pitched squeal, seemingly upset with Sophie staring at it. In one swift bound, the creature leapt from Ali's shoulder and disappeared out the window.

Sophie tried to forget what she had just seen. "It's good to see you again," she said to Ali.

It had been seventeen years since she had last seen Ali and not much about the girl had changed. She still looked to be the same age when they had first met, but Sophie already knew Ali was a lot older than she looked. However, as Sophie stared at her closer, she noticed that there was something different about Ali now. Her hair was longer, hanging down past her shoulder, almost to her elbows. Her unusual nails were still as sharp as ever and just as dark. Black rings circled her eyes, like it had been a long time since she had had a decent night's sleep. There was something else too, something about Ali's movements that unnerved Sophie in a way she couldn't explain.

Ali's eyes moved over to Gabbie. "What happened?" she finally spoke.

Sophie looked over at her daughter. "She was shot."

"I know that, I was at your house when the ambulance took her away."

"You were there?!" Sophie was shocked. If Ali had been at her house, why hadn't she revealed herself then?

"I want to know _how _she got shot."

"We had been driving all day, coming back from vacation. It was late when we got home, we were all tired and just wanted to go to bed. I told Gabbie and Max to just head straight up to bed, not to worry about brushing their teeth, and then I helped Jake unload the bags. I was entering the front hallway to put up our coats when I noticed that the front door had been kicked in. A second later, I heard the gunshot."

Ali's eyes narrowed and she glanced back at Gabbie. "Why is she like that?"

"You mean in a coma?" Sophie asked.

"What is that?" Ali asked.

It was a weird to think someone wouldn't know what a coma was, but Sophie had to remind herself that Ali came from a completely different world where even simple colds didn't affect her.

"It means they can't wake up. A coma happens when a person experiences neurological damage, like damage to the brain in Gabbie's case. She got lucky, though, the bullet only grazed her."

"So then why can't she wake up?"

"Grazed or not, Gabbie's brain suffered some trauma when it was struck. She also lost a lot of blood, which meant that her heart stopped several times. And if the brain doesn't get enough oxygen from the blood pumped through her it could lead to serious issues."

Sophie found it easier to talk about Gabbie than she thought. Maybe it was because she wasn't actually talking about it like Gabbie was dead.

"You humans seem to think the brain to be really smart and clever, why can't it heal itself?"

"She's not like you, Ali, she can't heal as fast. Yes, the brain has the ability to heal itself, but it takes time."

"What do you think?" Ali asked.

Her gaze was fixed intently on Sophie and there was something about her eyes that sent chills down Sophie's spine.

"What do I think about what?"

"Do you think she'll wake up?" Ali asked.

"I—," Sophie started to say, but the words wouldn't come out. She had wanted to say of course; her daughter would recover and everything would go back to normal. However, deep down, she really didn't believe that to be true. Her life would never be normal again. And, again, there was something off about Ali's gaze; something that would make lying impossible.

"I don't think so," Sophie finally said. And that was when the tears began to flow.

They didn't last as long as Sophie had been expecting and before long, the sobs slowly withered into dry heaves which quieted into nothing. All the while, however, Ali had stared at Sophie, unmoving, her dark eyes transfixed on her. When Sophie had finally finished crying Ali moved forward, but not toward Sophie. She walked past her and came to stand above Gabbie's bed, her eyes once again moving over the machines and tubing hooked up to her.

"How old is she now?" Ali asked.

That came as a shock to Sophie. Ali had always seemed to pride herself in her ability to keep up with every single person she had saved in her lifetime. Ali had cared deeply about the people she protected and had even come to their rescue on more than one occasion, as she had done with Sophie on multiple accounts.

"She's nine," Sophie eventually replied.

"And Max? What about him?"

"Thirteen."

"Strange," was all Ali said.

"What happened to you?" Sophie finally asked, "You're different."

Ali shrugged. "People change all the time."

"Yeah, but the only time I ever saw you change and the only time you've ever looked at me like that before, you were trying to kill me."

Ali didn't respond, but she cast a quick glance over her shoulder at Sophie. That quick glance was all Sophie needed; Ali wasn't helping people anymore. That glimmer in her eye had been the same one she had when she was killing the Fourth, Sophie's brother, Thomas, and when she had almost killed Sophie herself.

"What have you been doing?" she asked.

She wasn't really expecting an answer. Ali kept a lot of secrets about her and she had always been reluctant about letting anyone in, even if she called them friends.

"Killing," Ali said.

Sophie's blood ran cold. The nonchalant manner of Ali's statement sent shivers down her spine.

"You're not a monster, Ali," Sophie found herself saying, "You don't have to act like one.

Ali turned back to Sophie, her head cocked to the side. Sophie could see the slight animalistic gleam in her eyes. She let out a chuckle, but there was no humor in it. It was so unlike her characteristic laugh.

"I used to think that, and I tried my hardest to believe it too, but it's just not true. I like killing too much; it's sometimes all I can think about." The animalistic gleam shone brighter "In fact, I'm fighting the urge to kill you both right now."

Sophie took an involuntary step back. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. "No."

"Don't sound so surprised. You've always been afraid of me. The first moment we met you passed out. Even before I wanted to kill you I could always sense your fear. In fact, I could smell it."

"Why—? What—?" she couldn't even get the words out.

Ali laughed again, but Sophie wasn't comforted by it. "It really is amusing how much differently you humans act around me when my intentions are so reversed. It's like watching a fox that knows the hunting dogs have cornered it. There's no fight because, frankly, what's the point? You know the end is in sight."

Ali took a step away from the bed, toward Sophie. Sophie took a step back. There was more than just a gleam now, there was bloodlust; a raging desire to rip and tear. Pure animalistic instincts.

"Ali," Sophie whispered.

Ali blinked and it was like a light flipped on behind her eyes. The gleam vanished and the tangible sense of bloodlust in the air faded away. She staggered and took a few steps back, like she had been hit full in the front.

"Ali?!" Sophie asked in alarm, "Are you okay?"

"Stay back!" Ali cried. There was a fearful ring to her voice that made Sophie instantly obey.

Ali lifted her eyes to Sophie who could see the desperation in her gaze.

"Ali, what's wrong?"

Ali shook her head and backed away, back toward the window. "I'm sorry, Sophie, I'm so sorry!"

"Wait, Ali, don't go yet! What's wrong?!" Sophie asked again.

Instead of answering, Ali turned her back to Sophie and rushed to the window, gripping the edges of the sill. The scorpion-creature Sophie had seen earlier scuttled out of its hiding place and crawled up Ali's arm, settling down on her shoulder, near her neck. Before Sophie could open her mouth, Ali was pulling herself over the edge of the sill and disappearing on the other side.

Sophie rushed to the window, her eyes scanning the ground below then moving to survey the area to the left and then to the right. Ali was gone.


	4. Chapter 4

"Ali," Sophie whispered. There was more than just fear in her voice, there was desperation and pleading too.

Ali blinked. For some reason, she had a sudden flashback to that moment on the rooftop, just minutes after she had killed Sophie's brother, Thomas. She had confessed to Sophie then that she feared the darkness growing within her and how she hated that people would always fear her. She remembered the words Sophie had spoken to her, how she had tried to reassure her that Ali could find a way to make things return to normal and that not everyone feared her. Sophie had believed in her. And that thought was what snapped Ali out of her blood-crazed trance.

_What the hell did I almost do?_ Ali thought to herself. _I was about to attack Sophie!_

She tried to back away, but was hit with a wavy of dizziness and nearly lost her footing.

"Ali?!" Sophie asked in alarm, "Are you okay?"

"Stay back!" Ali cried.

She could feel the bloodlust still lurking in the back of her mind, like a hungry animal waiting to pounce on the unsuspecting prey. The thought of ripping Sophie apart, and then moving on to Gabbie, was getting to be too much. She had to get out of here before she actually became the predator she was imagining. Before Sophie became another victim.

When Ali met Sophie's gaze she had to admit she was a little surprised to see the look of concern and worry. Sophie looked like she actually wanted to approach her. Had she forgotten that fast that Ali was just about to kill her? Why wasn't she afraid? Why wasn't she running away?! She should just run away.

"Ali, what's wrong?"

Ali shook her head and backed away, back toward the window. "I'm sorry, Sophie, I'm so sorry!"

"Wait, Ali, don't go yet! What's wrong?!" Sophie asked again.

It was too much, she had to get out of here now! Ali turned her back to Sophie and rushed to the window, gripping the edges of the sill. Scorpio scuttled out of her hiding place and crawled up Ali's arm. Not wanting to give Sophie a chance to say anything else, Ali pulled herself over the edge of the sill and jumped out the window.

The air rushed in her face as she hung suspended in free fall for only seconds. Her feet touched the ground, the impact traveling up her legs, and she was running; she had to get away from the hospital, and fast. Her feet carried her across the lawn and through the nearly empty parking lot. Her mind was clear for now and she used it to her advantage to carry her as far away from the hospital as she could get. However, the rushing returned all too quick and only a block from the hospital she was forced to come to a stop. She managed to stagger over to a bus stop before her legs finally gave out on her and collapsed into the seat. Her head was pounding and the world spun dangerously around her. She curled into a ball, letting out a small noise of discomfort, as her hand reached out for some kind of support. Her fingers curled around the metal arm rest and she clenched it like it was her last life line. She hardly felt Scorpio as the Zabin jumped off her shoulder and perched on the arm rest just above her hands. The creature was concerned and let out small squeals, but Ali could hardly hear them. Her chest felt tight and she couldn't get enough air into her lungs. Jaws clenched, she tightened her grip on the arm rest, the metal straining beneath her fingers.

"I shouldn't have gone there," she mumbled to no one.

It had been a mistake to try and talk to Sophie, she knew, but she had to know what happened to Gabbie. She thought she could control the urges, but it had been harder than she thought. The moment she caught on to Sophie's fear and saw the way Sophie looked at her she had wanted to tear her apart. When she had spilled Charles' blood she had had a moment of clarity, when the bloodlust was only a minor buzz in the back of her mind and the desire to kill had been almost nil. But at Sophie's house, and en route to the hospital, she had felt it growing once again. She would never have a moment of peace in her life ever again. She would be trapped—

"Hello? Are you alright?"

A voice permeated the sea of red.

Ali's eyes snapped open. She was still on the bus bench, still curled into a ball, but something was different. It was still dark out, but it was now early in the morning, with the sun set to rise in a few hours. Time had slipped past her while she had been trying to get the bloodlust under control. Ali looked around and up, her gaze settling on the face of the woman looking down at her in concern. The woman's hair was pulled back tightly in a ponytail, the end hanging down over one shoulder. A black piece of fabric wrapped around her head to hold the hair out of her face. She was dressed in tight clothing. Her cheeks were red and flushed. Her breathing was rushed, but not labored, and her heartbeat was pounding quickly in her chest. Ali had seen her kind before, joggers, but could never understand the appeal, especially when they ran at night.

"Can you hear me?" the woman asked. "Are you alright?"

"I'm hungry," Ali muttered.

The woman's face crinkled in concern. "I'm sorry, do you have someone you can go to? Have you tried the soup kitchen?"

"Not that kind of hunger," Ali said with a shake of her head.

"What—?"

The woman's voice was cut off as Ali's hand latched on the dangling ponytail. There was fear in her eyes as Ali pulled herself up from the bus bench. She yanked harder on the ponytail, forcing the woman's neck to bend at an awkward angle, exposing her throat. The woman's heartbeat began to pulse erratically, no longer the smooth upbeat tempo of a good workout, but the spasmodic cadence of panic.

"Please!"

Ali's eyes remained glued on the curve of the woman's neck. Her skin was pale which made her veins stand out blue against her skin. The largest vein pulsed in time to the woman's quickened heartbeat. That was the one Ali was aiming for when she opened her mouth and latched on. The woman tried to scream, but Ali got her free hand up and clamped down hard over the woman's mouth. It was too early in the morning and the sounds might be heard and noticed. Hot blood burst forth from the wound, filling Ali's mouth, running down her chin. It tasted pleasant at first, but just as she was beginning to swallow, the taste went sour. Ali squeezed her eyes shut tightly and tensed her body, but she didn't let go. The blood eventually filled her mouth and with nowhere left to go, began running down her throat. She was determined to drink it this time, in hopes the relief will last more than just a few minutes. But just like always, she was forced to pull away.

The corpse folded in on itself, looking much like a tossed-aside toy than a human being. Ali collapsed next to it, gagged, and threw up. The woman's blood, which had once tasted good, burned Ali's throat as it came back up. She threw up again, the rest of the blood coming up this time and she felt her stomach finally settle once again. She remained hunched over, breathing hard, her eyes closed. Her arms were trembling slightly, but she couldn't move. The roaring was gone, the initial taste of the blood had pushed it away, but she didn't let herself feel happy about it; she knew it would be back.

Eventually, she found the strength to rise to her feet, using the bench as support. She had to leave now; the sun was starting to rise. A gray haze was illuminating the surroundings around her and it was only a matter of time before people started appearing. Ali looked down at the woman's body, at a loss. She didn't have time to dump the body in the lake, nor did she even think she had the strength to drag the body up to a rooftop where it would remain hidden and unnoticed for a long time.

"Scorpio?" Ali asked, "Is there anything you can do?"

But she already knew the answer; the little Zabin was still full from her meal of Charles. It would be a bad decision, but she found herself not caring. She held out her arm for Scorpio to crawl up, then turned her back on the corpse, and let herself vanish into the shadows.

* * *

When Ali got back to the Hive, she was met with silence. For once, the aliens didn't come running up to welcome her like they normally do whenever she returned. They would usually throw themselves on her, hissing excited greetings, but always treating her like she was some kind of fragile doll, even though she was just as strong as them. Now, they were hunched over, low to the ground, submissive. She couldn't even see them at first; they chose to press themselves up against the side of the Hive, their black bodies blending in perfectly with the walls, but she could sense their presence. They were anticipating the fight.

_You were gone a long time,_ Tilda finally said.

Ali turned her attention to Tilda. The Queen was speaking with her full authority, which meant Ali was in a lot of trouble. "Yeah, I know, I didn't mean to be."

_What have you been doing?_ Tilda questioned. _You were blocking me. I could not locate you._

"I'm sorry," Ali replied, "I was just making my usual rounds. And I ended up in Sophie's neighborhood. Something happened."

_What?_

"They walked in on a robbery. Sophie's daughter was shot."

This had caught Tilda's attention. _Her daughter, what was her name, again? Little Gabbie?_

"Yes. I got there right as they were taking Gabbie away to the hospital. She's in something called a coma."

Tilda let out a hiss. _That is terrible news._

"Wait, you actually know what a coma is?"

_Of course. You remember that man, my original host?_

"Yeah."

_He had been a nurse. I learned everything he did when I was born._

"Oh," Ali said. "Are they reversible? Sophie seems to think Gabbie won't wake up."

_It depends on the severity of the injury. Gabbie is young, so she has a better chance, but if there is a lot of damage done to her brain, it could be a lot worse._

Ali decided to propose her idea. "Sophie mentioned that Gabbie wasn't like me and that her brain couldn't heal itself from an injury like mine can."

_Yes, that is true._

"So what if she was like me? Wouldn't her brain be able to heal itself?"

Tilda didn't answer right away. She seemed to understand Ali's train of thought, even though she couldn't read her mind. _What are you saying?_

"What if Gabbie was a hybrid, like me?"

There was a longer pause when Ali spoke her idea. Tilda's mind was working around the idea, but her lips were curled up in a scowl. She didn't like the idea. _How would you even propose you do it? You cannot give her your blood, it would burn her from the inside out._

"I know, but what if we used a facehugger?"

There were some startled hissing from the aliens and even Tilda let out a startled hiss. _That is very risky! If you took it off at the wrong time, Gabbie could still become infected and she would die._

"I realize that, but if I timed it right, I could get the facehugger off just after the DNA processing is added, but before the chestburster is actually implanted."

She had thought this over long and hard after killing that woman at the bus stop, actually, ever since Sophie's declaration about Gabbie not being able to heal as fast as Ali. She should have been there when the attack first happened, should have been there to stop it. This was going to be her way of making things right.

_Alright,_ Tilda finally said. _You can try it. But the DNA in a facehugger might be too much for Gabbie. If she were a newborn, it would not be so bad, but this could be an overload._

"I thought about that too. What if you created a blank facehugger for me? You could just lay the egg before your DNA is added to the egg and I could add my own. I already have diluted DNA, plus human DNA, which would make it a little milder and easier for Gabbie's system to absorb it."

Tilda seemed to be thinking about it. Finally, she spoke, _Why were you not there to intercept the shooter before Gabbie was shot?_

It wasn't the kind of question Ali had been expecting and at first she didn't answer. When she finally found her voice she said, "I was taking care of other business. I was on the other side of town and only arrived—"

_What were you doing?_

"Like I said, my usual rounds. I was monitoring. Look, I don't see what this has to do with Gabbie? Are you going to help me or not?"

_Of course I will help. Sophie has done so much for you, it would be a shame for her to have to suffer like this. Have you spoken to her?_

"We talked a little, but I decided not to tell her of my idea. I wouldn't want to get her hopes up if this doesn't actually work."

_That is probably best._

"Do you even know if this is a good idea? Do you think there will be any negative affects?"

_You know this will change her in more ways than just healing her brain. She will start to become like you, Ali, although how long the change will take is hard to say. Not even I know what will happen._

Ali let that sink in. "I want to do it anyway."


End file.
